


An Evening's Entertainment

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-10
Updated: 2006-03-10
Packaged: 2018-08-16 04:06:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8086531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: Hoshi hosts a dinner as Archer and Tucker show Malcolm how to have a good time. (11/19/2003)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

  
Author's notes: 1.05 "Unexpected," 1.16 "Shuttlepod One," 2.01 "Shockwave 2," 2.09 "Singularity."  
  
This is my first fic, so please be gentle. Continuing from the scenario set in Ghostwriter75's wonderful "What Are Little Boys Made Of" and "Unexplored Territories" fics. Thanks for permission to post Ghost!  


* * *

Lieutenant Malcolm Reed stood looking in the bathroom mirror, apprehensive of the evening that lay ahead. The Captain had invited him, along with Ensign Hoshi Sato and Commander Tucker for a night of Hoshi's cooking and a mysterious game Tucker had recently acquired. But the Lieutenant knew this had not been the Captains idea, in fact it was Hoshi who suggested it, and her motives seemed suspect. Ever since the Captain and Tucker went public with their relationship, Hoshi had barely been able to talk about anything else. Well, to be fair, the whole damn ship was following suit.

Malcolm gave a familiar look of disgust at the mirror as he brushed his teeth. That girl just loves sticking her beak in other people's business, she's probably after an up-close-and-personal look at the budding romance of the moment. Doesn't she realise what's at stake here? If the Chief Engineer and his Captain suddenly decide they're not getting along so well. The whole crew will be thrown into chaos and with the dangers they've already seen on this mission, Enterprise really doesn't need this kind of internal turmoil thrown into the mix. Malcolm spat out a mouthful of toothpaste, then placed his hands on the vanity, staring morosely into the sink. He looked as though he wanted to fall in.

Why me? He kept thinking, why did they have to pick me for a dinner partner? This promised to be a very awkward night of watching new lovers, with their constant innuendo's, stolen glances and sexual tension. It wouldn't be so bad, except that he just hadn't seen it coming. Sure the Captain and Tucker were good friends, closer than he and the Commander had ever been. But lovers? That had really taken Malcolm by surprise.

The ship had been abuzz with rumours ever since Tucker's incident with the Montelosians. When the Captain chose to take time off and tend to Tuckers wounds, it had seemed a little too intimate a gesture, even for friends as old as they were. Mind you, Tucker really was suffering. At the time, even Malcolm was worried, and made a point of visiting on them a couple of times to see how Tucker's recovery was coming along. During those visits the Commander had become very erratic and moody, completely reliant on the Captain to look after him. Perhaps someone close was just what he needed to get through it all. But Malcolm still had some nagging doubts. Trip should stand on his own two feet more. He might be letting the Captain baby him too much.

The Lieutenant took his time to finish shaving and dressing, trying to delay the inevitable as he pondered how he would survive the evening. By the time he left his quarters, he was sure he was headed for a night of doom and gloom, but resolved to keep a stiff upper lip about it. He certainly wasn't going to contribute any further to the rumour mill, first chance available, he would pull Hoshi aside and make sure she would use discretion as well. Still he was flattered to be invited, an optimistic Trip would probably call this a great opportunity to make new friends. Atleast this opportunity wouldn't involve freezing to death in a Shuttlepod!

* * *

Captain Jonathan Archer had ordered a table and four chairs to be borrowed from the mess hall for the evening and was now setting them up. Hoshi was preoccupied with the vegetables, while Trip was on the floor working on the evenings entertainment, so Archer busied himself trying to make use of the little space there was, even a Captain's quarters is a stretch for four people and a kitchenette. But it was a nice room and had good atmosphere, a little crowding was just what this group needed to bring them closer. At least they weren't under Chef's toes, who was obviously a little put out by the idea of Hoshi cooking dinner for the Captain, but Archer had thought Hoshi's idea was just what the doctor ordered. Commander 'Trip' Tucker had been his best friend since long before this mission, they had agreed to keep the new aspects of their relationship mostly private so as not to make people too uncomfortable. It was important in the confined quarters of a starship, that the crew understood that Commander Tucker and himself were the same men—the same friends that the crew had gotten to know over the last year or so. He and Trip had been worrying about how the crew, particularly his senior staff would take their relationship. He knew they would be professional, but would they be comfortable? Hoshi's dinner seemed an ideal opportunity to prove to two of his most valued crew, that nothing had really changed.

He remembered how in this very room, he had promised Trip they would take it slow on their first dinner-date, but they ended up making-out half the night, forgetting dinner completely. That had been three weeks ago. A very happy three weeks. Archer knew he had a tendency to worry too much, but it hadn't been possible with Trip, somehow he was the same friend he always had been, only now there was a completeness, a whole new level of trust was beginning to form. He did still manage a little worrying about how fast they were taking it. He needed to be sure Trip was really in it for the long haul before they got to the point of no return. Or had they gotten there already? Would he really break it off if he sensed the wrong thing from Trip? This was silly, Trip was his best friend, he knew he could trust him, he wanted so much to trust him...What was holding him back?

Archer finished setting the table, but now he had a new mission—grabbing a beer from the fridge. This would be one of the more arduous tasks of the evening, as his quarters had become quite cramped with the makeshift kitchen in one corner, Trip setting up the game (a gift from last weeks away mission) in the middle of the floor, and there was the small dining table and chairs now arranged by the window. Both his bed and Porthos' had been pushed aside. Porthos was near beside himself with excitement sitting neatly at Hoshi's feet, and staring up at her longingly, hoping for a roast chicken to fall from the sky. Archer was impressed withthe Ensign's restraint, so far she hadn't given the dog a single scrap. Porthos knew, his master was weaker willed.

Precariously stepping over Trip, catching a tempting glance of the Commanders taut physique below him. Archer briefly imagined the light tan just beneath Trip's white shirt, but got his mind back on the job dodging around Hoshi as she madly prepared dinner over the steaming hotplates, flipping open the tiny fridge stocked full of goodies for the night. He picked his usual beer then headed back to settle down on the couch, reflecting that his quarters never smelt so good! "You sure you don't need a hand there Hoshi?" he asked politely, knowing her refusal was a given.

"Oh, no no, I'm fine thankyou Captain! You just relax there while I...Whoops!.. Ahha these eggs are so slippery!" Hoshi masterfully scooped up the spilt yolk from the bench and dumped it into the wok, dashing Porthos' hopes once again. This simple stirfry was proving quite a chore with so little space to work with. Hoshi really didn't think she'd do much cooking again after The Oden Incident a while back. But a simple dish, seemed like a safe bet. In fact most of the work was done and it would be ready soon. "I wonder what's keeping Lieutenant Reed? I know his shift finished late, but he should be here by now!" Trip looked up from his work and assured her, "Ah, I wouldn't worry about him, Hoshi. That pre-pressed dry-cleaned look of his probably takes hours of preparation! You never know, he might just barely make it in time fer dessert!"

The Commander turned back to the game, fiddling with the power relays. Hooking this thing up to a power cell was proving less successful than he'd hoped. He'd been meaning to get this done all week, but as usual, whenever he returned from an away mission there tended to be a billion little things wrong with Enterprise that needed his urgent attention. It had been hard enough to get some time alone with Jon this week, let alone figure out how to get this new toy—a gift from the Thelusian Ambassador rigged up to StarFleet technology.

The Thelusians had proved to be as accommodating as Dr Phlox and T'Pol had suggested. Thank God! Another dangerous away mission was the last thing Enterprise needed right now, it was nice to finally meet some people who were just happy to see some new faces. Trip guessed they didn't get too many alien visitors down there, with such high UV readings from their sun. It had been a peculiar visit, he'd expected the light to be really bright on their planet, but it was almost like a red hued night all the time. The environmental suits didn't make life much easier, with protective visors darkening everything even more, and just getting around was as clumsy as hell. He felt a fool traipsing about their engineering facilities not really able to do much but look around. He'd have loved to get his hands on some of their technology, they had some amazing tricks they could do with holography. Not as advanced as some of the stuff he'd seen on the Xyrillian's ship, but still way ahead of Earth's capabilities. He guessed this was why they gave this game as a gift, but he was having enough trouble adjusting the darn thing to Enterprises lighting environment, which seemed to be too bright, even with the lights off! Investigating the holographic technology was a puzzle he'd have to solve another day. Maybe that phase amplifier he brought would do the trick.

Trip reached into his pocket for the amplifier circuit, while Archer watched him, bemused at Trip enjoying his new gadget. "Are you sure you wouldn't prefer to set that up over here Trip?" The Commander looked up to see Archer comfortably lazing with his beer, legs folded restfully, patting the space next to him as invitation. "You sure do look comfortable there Cap'n, but this thing is so heavy it'd prolly make a hole right through the furniture! It's safer down here on the floor I think."

"You still call him 'Cap'n', Commander?" interrupted Hoshi, kind of amazed at how little seemed to have changed between the two. They both turned to grin at her.

"Some habits die hard I guess, Hoshi. Geez I dunno, on duty—off duty, it gets kinda confusing, so I just—try not to think about it too much!"

"—and i promise not to be offended." Archer smiled looking down at his best friend. In a way he was glad the nickname hadn't disappeared completely, it helped remind him that really, very little had changed.

Trip looked up at his old friend and smiled, he could see Archer was in the mood to enjoy himself tonight, he sure was a good looking man, no doubt about it. He always cut a striking figure in that black shirt, it was silky to the touch and felt cool against his skin, Trip always liked the feel of it. There was just one thing that drove Trip crazy, ever since Archer got his Captaincy he made a point of keeping his hair real neat, swept aside like those old photographs of astonauts back in the twentieth century. Trip hadn't really noticed, until recently Archer got a haircut that was just a bit too short to do any sweeping. He actually looked alot better, but as soon as it started growing again, Archer would style it back into his Captain-look. Each morning Trip had wished he'd let it alone, the temptation to give it a quick flick was sometimes unbearable. There would have to be a little talk about it sometime.

Finally getting the game going properly, Trip set it on demo, barely visible with all the lights on, but he didn't want to risk turning it off and not being able to get it on again. It would be a special night for sure, not just because of the game either, Trip had plans for later on that he was sure would please Archer, something real special—he just had to time their escape. But first he needed to clean up a bit, he could imagine Malcolm's look of disapproval if he didn't atleast try to look as spic and span as the Lieutenant always seemed to manage. He still thought Malcolm had a tendency to get too uptight, which is why he agreed with Hoshi that he should come along tonight. They had made a pact together to feed Malcolm as many drinks as possible and get the guy to relax. The Lieutenant had no idea what he was in for, this would be a night Malcolm would not soon forget! In the bathroom Trip looked into the mirror wondering how Reed manages to never break a sweat, or get a crease, or ruffle his hair. Trip's hair had always been unruly, it only took a minor situation before it became ruffled and made him look like a little school boy.

Tonight was important to Archer, his ship needed to trust its Commanding Officers, but there were other issues of trust going on, that Trip knew his Captain wasn't mentioning. Though the last 3 weeks had been amazing and Trip had never felt so comfortable in his own skin. He knew that Archer didn't quite understand how mutual their feelings were. Trip told him over and over how being in Jon's arms made the rest of the world melt away and that so many things in the past just made so much more sense now that he admitted to himself how deep his feelings had been for his Captain.

But Archer was still 'taking it slow' dammit! See, neither of them had ever felt this way about another man before. They'd never...been with other men before. So far, things had gone well, but Trip knew Jon's passion went deeper. They couldn't just make-out for the rest of their lives! OK, they'd gone a fair way beyond that, in fact he never knew there were so many ways to get off with someone! But technically they hadn't made love yet, which was frustrating as hell! Tucker had been amazed at how comfortable they were with exploring eachother, their friendship had turned out to be a strong foundation for the passion that was so obviously mutual...So why in the hell wouldn't Jon let him take it to the next level? Was he still worried about being with another man? The away mission had kept them busy the last week or so, maybe it was a case of leaving it so long it started to seem daunting. Archer was always a worrier, Trip was gonna have to resign to that fact and simply get creative in order to distract Archer from his worries.

Trust, that's his problem. Archer never quite believed that Trip felt the same way. Maybe he thought it was too good to be true, maybe he didn't trust that Trip had sorted out his issues since the Montelosian incident. Either way, tonight was the night Trip was gonna convince him otherwise. Dammit! He loved this man with his heart and soul, he knew Jon would never hurt him, Trip trusted him completely. Tonight he would make Archer understand.

This is not to say the Captain wasn't playing ball at all, in fact he was often the instigator, like that night at the movies, my God! Jon had driven him near wild!

"The Return of Hercules" was a terrible Italian muscleman film, Trip had chosen the movie many months before for its comedic value. But, since his recent experiences with Archer, he was seeing the film in a whole new light. He pretty much had a stiffy all the way through watching these barely-dressed men, whose strength somehow reminded him of his lover. When the Captain noticed Trip's condition, Tucker suddenly felt the Captain's hand gently slide down inside his thigh, then a few moments later Archer began to trace the outline of his hardening cock beneath the taught uniform. This was a cinematic pleasure Trip hadn't experienced in a long time. But the fact that Archer obviously knew how this would feel, was even more of a turn on. As afraid as Trip was of anyone else noticing, he felt his cock harden more as Archers deft fingers teased at his hard-on, giving gentle tugs, squeezing, then another gentle pull. In a way, every time they were intimate, they were playing out their own fantasies on eachother. This went on for quite a while, each time Archer monitoring the throbbing of Trip's cock under his palm. He pushed it a little further each time, my god, Trip felt his cock nearly protruding from his waistband! He desperately tried to keep his cool, but the teasing eventually became too much. So they had exited quietly and headed for their quarters.

But enough of that! A long evening to get through before we get there! Where IS the Lieutenant? It wasn't like him to be late for anything.

Of course, the moment Trip returned all freshened up, the doorbell chimed. Malcolm could hear muffled noises from behind the door, then suddenly it slid open and there was his Captain in casual dress, grinning widely and thrusting a cold beer into his hands. "Good Evening Malcolm! We were beginning to wonder where you'd got to! Have a beer, this is one of my favourites, you'll like it!" as he was led in, Reed noted the Captain certainly was in good cheer, "Are you alright Lieutenant?" asked Hoshi from behind a waft of steam "Why don't you have a seat and relax, you're just in time, dinner's ready."

* * *

Everyone sat down at the little table, while Hoshi served up the noodles and vegetables. They all commented how good it looked, and in fact it had turned out to be a great meal. Since the Lieutenant hadn't been invited on the away mission much of the discussion was about the Thelusians. Taking on the role as hostess, Hoshi got up frequently to top off everyone's drinks, seconds were served, and later, the Captain called on Chef to bring the Lemon Meringue specially prepared for dessert. Quite nice considering how put out Chef had been supplying Hoshi with utensils and being denied the privelidge of cooking for the Captain this evening.

Lieutenant Reed was a little quiet at first, so Hoshi kept topping his drink and tried to involve him in conversation as much as possible. Malcolm was never very good around the Captain, brought up to believe that a Captain should be a solitary authority figure, Malcolm often had disagreements with Archer's more relaxed command style. Hoshi on the other hand had known the Captain before she joined Enterprise, she saw him as a friend who needed as much company and support as anyone else on the ship. So she was very glad to see Archer so happy with Trip. She knew Malcolm's fears that these best friends would break under the weight of a romance were merely Malcolm overreacting.

As the evening played on and everyone relaxed, it started to feel more like old friends gathering, rather than co-workers. The conversation was still on the Thelusians but Trip was struggling to find answers to Malcolm's questions about Thelusian weaponry, so Hoshi broke in and changed the topic, telling Malcolm about her time spent with an advanced linguistics professor. Much like her, the professor had studied several cultures and had an unusual aptitude for languages. "You may also be pleased to know, Lieutenant, that Professor Joah is an avid marksman, he actually took me out to the range for a few hours!" Hoshi beamed, knowing Malcolm was constantly encouraging her to practice more with the phasers. Trip interrupted with enthusiasm "Yeah I heard you got some impressive statistics! What was it? one in five shots?" they all laughed appreciatively at Hoshi's expense.

"Hey!" Hoshi was feeling defensive "It's apparently a really difficult range, the Professor says one out of five is excellent for the average marksman. He only got three in five!"

"I would have liked to meet him, Hoshi. Sounds like it's a challenging sport." replied Reed, who was still a bit miffed at being left behind for the misson. Too often they'd been told a species was friendly, only to end up in strife. Atleast this time nothing had gone wrong.

"I'm sorry, Malcolm." the Captain knew this would come up "But we had to have someone running the ship! I promise next time we'll bring you along. It's a shame we couldn't have given some shore leave there, but I dont think a holiday in an EV suit is anyone's idea of relaxation!"

Malcolm was beginning to feel the warmth from his third beer. The evening certainly had gone better than expected, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and Hoshi's meal had been very satisfying. She certainly was being attentive to refilling his glass—was she trying to get him inebriated? The thought was tantalizing, there was that time when Hoshi dropped in on his quarters topless. Being that they were in the middle of an attempt to rescue their Captain though, he hadn't pressed the point. Actually the nicest part about it had been that she'd just turned up outside his door, it was kind of a homely moment in the midst of the tension. He'd wished she'd be doing that more often, clothed was fine, he didn't really get too many visitors to his quarters, well, never enough anyway. Distracting himself from pondering any further he asked the Commander, "What about this game then, Trip?"

"Ahh, yeah I think I got it going alright. Just had to make a few adjustments. Jon and I had a go last night, though it wasn't working properly, it's quite similar to the technology Hoshi used at the range apparently. Takes a bit of getting used to, maybe Jon and I can clear the dishes while you two practice—just to make it more fair!"

* * *

The game, as it turned out, was indeed a challenge, Trip had seen the Thelusians play the game on their planet, so he had some idea of how it worked. With the lights off, and Porthos in bed, Hoshi and Malcolm teamed up against Jon and Trip. The room seemed much more intimate with the only light source coming from the game itself. When started up, the game looked like a simplified Solar System, a large spherical target, say, the size of an egg, surrounded by 3 spinning balls which attack the target randomly. The holography really was amazing, it looked like it was right there in front of you, you could almost touch it. But all the imagery was translucent so you could see the other players through the action. The trick as it turned out, was that you and your team mate had to keep your eye on the target, literally, moving it out of the way with your line of sight. If your partner looked the other way, you could drop the target and lose the point. Teams would take it in turn being attackers and targets, the amount of concentration it took to play made the emotional stakes high. But the physical aspect was intriguing, though each player was nearly a meter away, teams had to lock eye contact for prolonged periods, it was at one moment intimate and the next funny when someone took a wrong turn and apologetically dropped the target.

Between Malcolm's tactical skills and Hoshi's remarkable intuition, the Lieutenant and Ensign made a formidable team, even with Archer and Tucker's previous nights practice. But Malcolm was impressed with how well Archer and Tucker seemed to work together. Tonight hadn't been awkward at all, the two officers keeping the evening friendly and relaxed. It was clear that Tucker had recovered well. And Captain Archer just seemed so happy, Malcolm had found himself forgetting he was the Captain and thinking of him just as a good friend. Hoshi was in excellent form tonight, and it a wa pleasure getting to know her better in these close quarters. She seemed to have lost all the inhibitions and fears that arose when she joined Enterprise, she really had pulled off quite an evening. He hadn't enjoyed himself this much since the launch party on Earth...well.. there was his birthday party.. Hoshi had been responsible for that too. She was quite a resourceful officer. He really was enjoying the opportunity to see a new side of her. Or maybe it was just that he liked winning—beating Trip always lightened his mood.

After a few too many drinks, the game became impossible for Tucker, who was apparently having trouble focusing. Hoshi took this as a welcome sign to finish up and set the game on demo, where it whirled around on its own, lighting the room and casting amazing shadows around the cramped quarters. Beating the hell out of Trip and the Captain had certainly been interesting, atleast now they weren't laughing about her target practice. They seemed to really appreciate the meal too, it had been a satisfying evening all round, Hoshi hadn't really expected it to go this well. But she was beginning to tire having worked hard all evening and got herself up to do some tidying while the others chatted.

Meanwhile still on the floor, Trip was working himself into a state declaring Malcolm had had an unfair advantage with Hoshi, "She's probably telepathic with that big brain of hers!" he was slurring his words, for effect , "There's no way you guys won fair and square! I demand a rematch!"

Malcolm began to protest, but a somewhat more sober Archer hushed them both "Now, I think that's quite enough for one night, don't you Trip? Perhaps you should be a bit more graceful about it. Malcolm and Hoshi played a good game tonight." The Captain wasn't feeling half as stern as he sounded, but he knew that with a few too many drinks in him, Trip could get explosive and he didn't want the night ruined. He was feeling so good, Hoshi and Malcolm seemed completely accepting of his new beginning with Trip. It hadn't felt strange at all. Archer's heart was full of joy to see them all together, relaxing as friends. Trip looked up at his best friend and nodded clumsily, he knew Jon didn't mean to be so strict, in fact he had calculated on him jumping in. It had been a great night, but for Archer it was about to get even better...

Malcolm decided he should head for the bathroom, he'd lost count of the beers, he didn't usually drink at all really. But tonight he felt that these people really cared for him, and had really enjoyed his company—even Tucker, the obstinate bastard—had been making a noticeable effort to keep him involved in the evening. As he got up, stepping gingerly over the game, he lost his balance and bumped into Hoshi catching her by surprise. She nearly fell over, dropping some empty bottles, but Malcolm's reflexes snapped into action and with an arm around her waist he reeled her in to him. When she caught her balance and looked up at him, she felt his lips brushing against hers in a clumsy drunken kiss. Startled, she didnt even have time to react before Malcolm stumbled off toward the bathroom. Had they seen that? Hoshi looked down at her superiors still sprawled on the floor, they were watching the demo, or eachother, she couldn't tell. "He's just very drunk" she thought to herself, a little disappointed. A good looking officer like that, well, it's every girls dream to be desired by a man like that!

* * *

"Wasn't that a little rude, Trip?" asked the Captain, as they headed down the corridoor, Trips hand lay casually on Jon's shoulder, where he had quickly become accustomed to keeping it off-duty. On-duty was another story, professionalism was required, didn't wanna go making the crew uncomfortable.

"Cap'n if we hadn't 'a gotten outta there soon I might've had to jump you there and then!" Replied Trip, "'Sides those two can manage themselves, I got other plans for you" Trip let his arm fall, as he slipped his hand into Archer's and led him down the quiet corridoors of the Enterprise on night shift. Archer suddenly became very glad they had Trip's quarters to escape to, letting himself be whisked along by his friend.

* * *

Malcolm surfaced from the bathroom several minutes later looking much more sober. Hoshi had finished the cleaning and was merely busying herself upon Malcom's return. When the Lieutenant saw the lights were back on and the Commander and Captain were no longer in the room, he felt a hot flush burn his cheeks as he realised there would be no avoiding Hoshi. That brief drunken encounter, had seemed very romantic in that moment, but he regretted it instantly. Hoshi was the Communications Officer, someone he worked with every day. He may have dated a few women back in San Fransisco, but Enterprise was much closer quarters, and she hadn't even shown an interest.

"Where is the Captain?" he asked obviously a little pained

"Uh.. Captain Archer and the Commander made a quick exit while my back was turned, I'm guessing they went to Tucker's quarters." she tried to smile wanting to make Malcolm a little more comfortable.

"Well now that seems a little rude of our hosts, doesn't it?"

Hoshi's heart sank as she watched him fold up the chairs and table. Malcolm was already back to business mode. She persevered, he wasn't getting away with it that easy "Malcolm, come and sit down."

She moved toward the couch, he just stood there staring, stiffened like a deer in headlights. Hoshi had had enough, she was tired, and wanted to go to bed. Malcolm was not going to ruin the evening, she would have him sit and talk with her if it meant calling security to hold him down. Damn the Captain and Archer for disappearing like that! If they'd been here, she could have avoided this for later. But as it was. It had to be nipped i nthe bud so to speak. Pointing a commanding finger at the spot next to her. He followed her will, rather in the manner of a reluctant Porthos. As Malcolm sat, he looked at the young woman next to him, completely unsure of what to do next. He'd always been quite a ladies man, but that was with women he didn't know, people he'd never gotten close to. The crew of the Enterprise were different, they were like family. Even if Archer and Tucker could manage a relationship onboard, he didn't think he felt strongly enough about Hoshi to do the same. God! Why had he kissed her?

He looked at her with those grey eyes, but his guard was up, this was so different to an hour earlier where she'd been allowed to see the man behind those eyes as they worked together to bruise Tuckers ego. Now, she could read nothing from him besides discomfort. Hoshi considered offering him another beer, or turning the lights back off, but though better of it. She wanted to know what he was thinking, not seduce a drunk. This was crazy, if she didn't say something they would get nowhere, she had to get those deflectors offline! "That was a lovely kiss" she said, watching him. This was the closest they'd been all evening, aside from the kiss.

"Hoshi, I...I'm sorry, I.. It was a mistake" Sputtered Malcolm, she apparently didn't see a problem with pursuing him and he felt even worse than before. Hoshi could be so sensitive, he really didn't want to hurt her. He could see her frustration, she wasn't holding anything back from him, those big brown eyes seemed to drill into him trying to understand what was going on "Let me explain," he began "I just...Tonight was so lovely, you did so well Hoshi, and you know i've always thought we got along well, and it's not that i dont find you attractive, I mean...I had been thinking just this evening, how you had rescued me from my quarters when the Captain was kidnapped by Daniels-.."

"When my shirt got stuck in the shafts!?" Hoshi laughed, Malcolm remembered that? Was he fantasizing about her? She didn't let him finish the sentence, feeling a surge of confidence Hoshi leant in to brush her lips on his upper lip, he tried to move away, but after a night of anticipating his moves, she still hit him right on target. He was even cuter like this, a little boy looking down at his shoes as thought being told off by his mother.

Malcolm felt trapped in those big brown eyes of hers and stood up abruptly, he couldn't think of another way to escape. "I'm sorry Hoshi, but i can't see how this will work." He thanked God his legs didn't give way form under him. It would be so easy to fall for her, to just let go. But he felt as thought something was at stake, this just wasn't right, they were in the Captains Quarters for God's Sake! How could he make her understand, without hurting her even more? Words weren't enough. He reached down for her hand and took it gently, giving her one of his little smiles. He had let his guard down, she could see the man behind the eyes again, but it was still confusing, so kind and yet reticent. Now there was a Malcolm word if ever she heard one, 'reticent'!

Hoshi realised whatever he felt, it was not something he wanted to carry through. She stood up to meet him, smiling back, "You liked me dropping in on your quarters, didn't you Lieutenant?" noticing him blush a little, she continued "It's OK, I understand. I'm glad we cleared it up." It was funny that it wasn't her blushing, after all, she'd been the one caught topless that day. Actually she was feeling relief, it was nice that he'd been kind of attracted to her, she'd always assumed the bridge staff never even noticed her for T'Pol. She didn't know what else to say. Malcolm just quietly stood there, intently gazing at her, those eyes now filled with kindness. She let his hand drop, turning for the door. As it slid open she escaped into the dark corridoor feeling immediate relief.

Malcolm stood in the Captain's Quarters alone. This had been a very confusing evening, he'd expected a night of pained glances, and strained conversation, but instead he'd come to appreciate the company of his Captain and Senior Officers all the more. Hoshi particularly, had worked really hard, he knew that. She'd looked after him all evening, and he'd repayed her this way. The gentlemanly thing to do would be to chase after her. But Malcolm had always been a bit too reserved for that kind of thing. Maybe he would call in on her tomorrow.

Before leaving the room, he knelt down near the Thelusian gift. Trying to figure out how to turn it off, he remembered looking into Hoshi's eyes as they played the game, she really had seemed to be reading his mind as they played. It was as if she really understood the way he thought. 'If only!' he thought wistfully, he found the stronger Hoshi of tonight very attractive, that was the kind of woman he could love. But the Ensign he knew was far too timid, far too easily hurt. It would just be too difficult in the close quarters of the Enterprise and he wasn't about to have himself the subject of idle gossip. No, he and Hoshi were not right for each other. Malcolm pushed the little game over to the wall, it really was very heavy considering it's size, but he didn't want the precious gift damaged.

Standing up he glanced around the room, everything seemed pretty much in order, so he turned to leave.

* * *

Archer was relieved at having been kidnapped. He hadn't been looking forward to the idea of waiting for Malcolm and Hoshi to say their goodnights, then rearranging all the furniture back into place. This abduction was a far more appealing notion as he realised this Commander of his hadn't been as drunk as he was letting on. What was Trip up to? They had never really shared the Commander's quarters before. Archer supposed it might have been rude to always assume they would spend evenings in Captain's Quarters, but it _was_ much more comfortable. Tonight he was excited at the idea of sneaking in to the officers quarters, the Captain and his crewman, secretly tucking themselves away, while most of the crew slept.

Archer was taken aback at how short the turbolift ride had been, he hadn't really been paying attention, while he enjoyed the close quarters with Trip, the warm hand still gently wrapped around his own. Upon exiting, Trip led him out onto D Deck, Archer hesitated, but was pulled along as Trip picked up the pace. Where were they headed?

Trip had been trying to think of somewhere outside their quarters that the two could both get a good view, and a bit of privacy. Really it was selfish of him to not think the Captain's Quarters good enough, they had second best view in the house—front row center. But he had discovered one other plac,e the kind of place that would be deserted during night shift...the Rear Observation Room.

Archer hadn't come down here often, but it sure was a good idea. He and Trip were nearly jogging by the time he realised where they were headed, and when they finally reached the door, Trip hit the panel, sliding the door away to reveal the rear view from the saucer structure, it was always a startling sight. Both men simply looked with awe, the only sound was the hum of the warp coils through the interior of the ship.

Trip stood behind Jon, loosely wrapping his arms around his waist. They could see both warp nacelles glowing blue as the plasma pumped through the coils. Trips hands slipped under Archers shirt, raising his arms, Tucker gently lifted the shirt over his head finally ruffling that helmet hairstyle. This was like undressing a child, Archer was always so compliant, so willing, he seemed to enjoy being taken care of. Trip pulled Jon back so they were leaning into eachother. Archer could feel Trip's movements as he removed his own white shirt. Without looking away from the view, Archer imagined Tucker's lightly tanned skin, now exposed and pressing against him. Then he felt Trip's arms wrap around him again, it felt so safe, so sweet. Then Trip's thumbs hooked into his waistband, and he felt a sudden rush as Trip dropped to his knees, bringing Archer's pants and underwear with him. He could feel Tucker's quickened breath warming his buttocks as he hovered on his knees for a few more moments, then Archer felt the breath slowly rising, a gentle breeze up his spine, to the back of his neck, he shivered. Trip repeated the procedure with his own pants, still letting his quickened breath tickle its way up Archer's spine. Those twin nacelles above them, throbbed as they whisked the stars away from the ship. The power was intoxicating, like a silent wind teasing at them, drawing them out with the stars. Trip pulled his lover back into him again, so he could feel his heart beating against the weight of Archers back. Trip was overwhelmed by two urges, one was to stay just the way they were for the rest of the night, not moving a muscle. But as he brushed his head behind Jon's there came the overwhelming desire to kiss the nape of his neck, he always smelt so good, but he resisted. Less is more he told himself, as he slowly slipped his hand around Archers waist and very gently cupped his balls, he had to be careful not to touch Archers now stiffening erection. He would love to see it now, watch it grow and throb, but he would have to wait, that would be his reward later on.

Trip had taken Archer by pleasant surprise, "What are you up to, Trip?"

"Just never you mind, and do as yer told" said Trip smiling at the thought of baffling his Captain.

The hand gently cupping Archers balls was careful not to touch his cock, it accentuated the feeling of freefalling, as though they could just tumble off the deck together under the weight of his now stiffening erection. It was incredible! As though his own erection were emulating the warp drives power, Trip's other hand was now slipping down behind him, his finger running quickly down Jon's crack, lingering briefly over his asshole, then continuing past to that amazing spot they had explored on so many nights, Trip massaged right _there_ in time to the throbbing of the nacelles. His cock wavering in the starlight rising and falling with each movement Trip made. He felt complete submission to Trip, as he leant back into him a little more, but at the same time his erection was growing lustily as he fed on the powerful sight of the warp drive.

Trip now worked each hand below Archer's thickening cock, the Captain felt Trip harden as well, as his cock pressed gently behind his hip.The gentle twitches from Trip's erection were nearly in time with his own, as they watched the two warp nacelles beating in sync. Trip continued to rock Archer's weight into him. Archer was helpless, he couldn't move without Trip's permission, so he leant back and rested his head on Trips shoulder, still not taking his eyes from the view of the stars sweeping away from them, as though into some deep vortex. Archer was being rocked in the arms of this fucking sweet man. He let the rhythm intoxicate him as he felt his friend's fingers exploring again, teasing at his asshole, then quickly plunging for a moment. God it felt good! Now Trip's finger encircled, then again a quick plunge, this time it was two fingers! Archers cock could hardly bear it, he was going to come if Trip kept this up.

Trip continued to rock Archer, rolling his balls with a gentle pleasure, in this way controlling Archers hips. He was going to make him near come without ever touching his cock, Trip could feel it, he didn't need to look, he just kept pulling Archers weight in towards him, paying close attention to the rhythm of the ship, rocking back and forth, taking his weight, making Archer trust him. His fingers making daring moves, penetrating him gently, teasing, giving him a taste for more. When he felt Archer couldn't take it much longer, and the surrender was complete. Trip backed away from him. Archer stumbled a moment to stand on his own two feet. As Trip moved around to face him. "On the floor, Cap'n." demanded Trip, his voice was low and evocative. Archer was ready to please, but before he had time to comply, he was pushed down with a gentle shove. Now lying on his back, Trip knelt down over him, and straddled his hips. He loved this, their cocks both hard as hell, gently brushing together, the sensation quickly returned Archer to the bliss he'd had a moment ago, he would come very quickly if Trip wasn't careful.

Trip had no intention of getting this over with quickly, he had Archer right where he wanted him, he was in no condition to deny Trip any request. There was plenty of pre-cum on Archer's tip, he certainly was ready, so with one hand on each cock he gently lubed them up, there was nothing like the sight of a wet cock to drive a man wild. Trip thrust his hips a little as they both watched their cocks glisten in the blue glow of the warp nacelles. Trip licked his lips, leaning in to kiss Jon, and their lips collided, tongues feeling for a taste of eachother. Archer could finally put his hands on Trip, running them up Trip's chest, he thrust his waist upward, if he could just get Trip to come a little closer, so they could rub against eachother, the wonderful sensation of skin on skin and their cocks writhing between their weight. But his lover pulled back. Trip wasn't gonna do it that way, nu-uh, he brushed Archers hands away and leant back. He wanted Archers cock inside him, he knew Archer wanted it too, he just needed a little reassuring. He pulled Archer up, so he was sitting, then wrapped his arms around Jon's shoulders, raising his own hips he kissed Jon's forehead, Archers cock sliding against him, as he moved, again keeping the rhythm of the view behind him. Archer was bathed in blue light, still intoxicated seeing the plasma pump through the nacells. Trip tightened his buttocks as Archers cock slid near them, Archer's hands came for Trips hips as he felt his own cock harden, he knew what Trip wanted, the teasing, the now aching erection made the choice easier for Jon. Nothing else would satisfy, he needed to make love to this man hovering above him. Trip unclenched as he slipped his hips down onto Archer's cock gently, it was smooth, he could feel Archer filling him up, it was incredible! He took Archer in as deep as it would go, and held him there a few moments, his own cock moistened as he felt Archer about to come, he couldn't let it happen yet, so reluctantly slid up, that was enough to ease Archer back and Trip began to thrust his hips downward again and again.

Archer pulled Trips head closer and wanting to press his lips to that beautiful mouth, Trip's parted lips reciprocated. Trip wanted Jon to fill him completely, letting his mouth be penetrated. Archer gently bit at Trip's lips, as he came up for air, the kissing had helped prolong the moment, but he knew he now had to come right there and then. Trip leaned back and took Archer's cock smoothly, thrusting it in as deep as before, they held hands as Archer spurted deep inside Trip again, and again and again. Trip resisted pulling off until the last moment, that amazing third thrust from Archer's cock was a satisfying reward for all his hard work. Collapsing onto the floor, he pulled Jon into his arms as they lay back watching the stars.

"Thankyou, Trip" said the Captain

"You're Welcome," Trip replied "I hope we understand eachother a little better now."

"What do you mean?" asked the Captain.

"Enough waiting around, Jon. We wasted enough time in the past. Just trust me, and we'll get through this together, I promise." Trip leant in to kiss Jon, still flushed from his efforts. It was the sweetest kiss Archer could have imagined, he wrapped his arms around his best friend and kissed him back, over and over. This was going to be a long night, as Trip said, they had alot of time to catch up for.


End file.
